Bridging the digital and physical world in gaming gives users the opportunity to experience physical contact with game pieces while at the same time experiencing everything the digital world has to offer. Systems that bridge the digital and physical world usually rely on cameras to watch and detect game pieces while a user is moving the game pieces on a physical board. The cameras work by utilizing optical recognition techniques that can detect the movement of game pieces.
However, problems arise when users are playing games that involve the detecting game pieces in different orientations during the game. For example, if a user is rolling a dice to play a physical game, it can be difficult for cameras using optical recognition to determine which face of the die has been rolled. This same problem can exist with other game pieces where orientations are important. For another example, if a user is playing a game that involves playing cards, it can be difficult for cameras using optical recognition to determine which face of the card is facing upwards. One solution that has been developed to solving this problem is to embed technology in the game pieces themselves that can detect an orientation of the game piece and then can transmit that information as data to an electronic device. However, these systems are expensive, as each game piece requires its own embedded technology.